You’ve never been so happy to be aboard a plane for hours and hours.

My family’s Christmas tradition, starting from when I was about 5, was to travel somewhere foreign and exotic. Broadening our perspective and soaring far beyond (and above) our preconceived horizons was always a thrill for me, my two older sisters and my parents. No matter what’s happening in our lives, good or bad, traveling somewhere new always proves to be a magical escapism.

From the New Year’s flight over Antarctica to standing in snow watching my sister ski down an indoor slope in Dubai to sleeping in the desert in Oman to enjoying dinner under the stars with Uluru (Ayers Rock) serving as the backdrop, venturing off to exciting places around the world is something I am eternally grateful to my parents for throughout my life. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover my appreciation for these priceless experiences.

And on equilibrium with the destinations are the memories of the journey.

Seeing the world unfold in ways we never thought possible is why we travel. To hear about a far off place is one thing, but to witness and embrace a new culture in-person is enlightening in the best ways imaginable. The sights, sounds and people far exceed what you anticipate. As divided as the world seems these days, one saving grace I’ve always kept close to my vest (not literally, but you know what I mean) is that everywhere I’ve traveled, the people, rich and poor, have been kind, helpful and inspiring.

Experiencing life’s wonder with friends and family, as well as with friendly strangers, is part of the beauty of it all. When you’re on vacation, anything can happen.

Like going on a spur-of-the-moment late night stroll along a riverbank in Kakadu National Park in the Australian Outback with Ranger Ted in an effort to spot crocodiles. And, for the record, we succeeded. Ranger Ted told us to pause our walk to focus our eyes on these two red dots in the middle of the river. From those two red eyes reflecting in the water to the tip of its tail, the crocodile’s length was ~15 feet.

True story.

That’s why we escape the daily grind for an overseas adventure, isn’t it?